


Fire & Blood

by Rivenroad



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Amaurot (Final Fantasy XIV), Ascians (Final Fantasy XIV), Blood and Injury, F/M, Implied Relationships, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 22:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20955770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivenroad/pseuds/Rivenroad
Summary: Only one of many casualties to have befallen the Ascian race, Inanna spends her final moments lamenting the death of her people - alone and afraid, or so she believes.





	Fire & Blood

Where had he gone, where was Hades? The only people she had seen were the hordes of robed men and women scattered about, fleeing in terror as the ground splintered below their feet. The skies, lit up with the rays of the sun, red like that which was bled by her fellow Ascians.

Though she seemed to be the only to have noticed the sheer number of casualties, because no one else had stopped - not even once, to get a glimpse of their surroundings. Never once did they stop to gaze upon the faces of those fallen, their own brethren, to mourn those lost. Inanna recognised how precious little time remained. With their very world crumbling before them, she felt the very same level of panic that they did. Her head whipped about frantically, scanning for any sign of a red mask amongst the crowds, but she saw none. Her throat was tight, and her eyes burning from the heat of the raging fires which consumed all in their wake - tearing down the civilization which she knew so well, and leaving her with nothing.

All crumbled before her eyes, and as a crack of thunder rang through the air her heart rate quickened. It was as if the drums of war were within her chest, hammering away impatiently, and it had her feeling ill; her stomach turned, and a wave of nausea had the woman feeling dizzy.

Inanna’s knees froze beneath her, unable to carry her weight. Trembling uncontrollably, she felt naught but fear as her hands rose to her temples and her fingers clutched at her hair. She tightly tugged at her chestnut strands, even pulling some free from their roots, though she felt naught save for the fear that took hold of her. 

She managed to force a single step forward, then another. She shuffled awkwardly forward, dragging her feet while doing everything she could to control her breathing. Though such control was proving to be difficult, as the smoke which tainted their air had started to poison her lungs. Every inhale was becoming a chore, and though her limbs now felt as though they were crafted from lead, the adrenaline that coursed through her veins was enough to push her forward.

She had to find him - she had to find Hades, no matter what it cost. Though the fear of dying was overtaking her, she wanted only to see him one last time, for if she were to perish here she would at least go out with a smile upon her face. If she could make it within a few feet of him, she knew she might feel some level of comfort - but still, not a single red mask had shown itself to her. Still, only those rushing about and trampling over one another in their desperate attempts to evade death. 

And thus she found herself cursing her kin. Cursing every last one of them for allowing this situation to come about in the first place. For bringing forth Hydaelyn, for allowing Zodiark to be smote down, and for creating a tragedy on such a large scale. 

Another crackle of thunder, followed by a loud whimper and the woman now on her knees. Hands planted firmly against the scorching ground, fingertips tracing the cracked earth.   
And a realisation hit her - if she stayed here, she would expose herself to the elements and invite death faster. She had to move, to find that which she so desperately sought, and to not stop even for a moment. Inanna scrambled to her feet, using some of her remaining energy to catch her bearings.

It seemed the lack of fresh air was finally beginning to wear her down, for the moment she rose back up she coughed into a closed fist. She knew she should retreat somewhere else, somewhere safer, as not to leave herself in the open. But where should she go? Few options were truly secure, but she could hardly stand to watch as more lives were snuffed out and the home she knew was torn asunder.

She took a step to the side, moving toward a nearby building, when her vision began to fade. A throbbing in her abdomen, as if something was swelling - a crushing sensation within her chest, and her breathing ragged. Moments soon felt like hours, and she regained consciousness - her vision, clouded as it was, was clear enough to recognise that she was now trapped beneath rubble. But she couldn't move, couldn't shift her limbs to try and free herself. Hands barely able to move, she felt around desperately until they made contact with the stone slab which lay upon her abdomen.

She felt no pain, only illness - a sensation of which she felt the need to vomit. But the taste in her mouth set off alarms in her mind. Her mouth filled with the taste of blood, and in a desperate effort to expel it, her body began to jerk - the crimson tinted liquid spilling onto the ground beside her. Every motion she made sent a shock through her body, causing agony the likes of which she had never felt before.

But more than even the intensity of the pain, she was afraid. She knew this was the end, and she was more than aware that there was no use fighting it. To fight this would be to bring death more swiftly, and though she could barely stand laying as she was - a crumpled mess of a person, she still maintained her hope that someone might find her. That one person might see her and recognise her. 

To lay eyes upon her not with pity, but with the knowledge that she too was once a living person. For if any were to survive this, her only prayer would be to carry on the memory and all those who lay here with her. Those whose names that might eventually be lost to time, fragments of a forgotten history. 

Her strength was fading, and her vision with it - clouded by her own blood and the smoke which lingered overhead. Now, every breath of hers became more scarce and with each came greater effort. Perhaps she should simply accept her fate, destined to become another corpse left in Hydaelyn's wake.

Slowly, her eyes would close, only opening for a brief moment when she heard the sounds of footsteps. Somebody was near, though no words were spoken. Fingertips upon her forehead, brushing her blood splattered bangs out of her eyes. In a desperate effort to focus, she could make out the vague shape of a red mask and amber eyes beneath, which gazed somberly upon her form.There was compassion in his eyes, and though Inanna found her body growing cold, she managed to use what little strength she had to stretch her pale lips into one last smile.


End file.
